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Brave 10-Year-Old Girl Escapes Child Abduction

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by Nicole Stevens on July 24, 2012

Nicole Stevens

About the Author

Nicole Stevens is a 30-something mom of four adorable kids. Her passions include spending time with her babies and doing research in the laboratory. She also enjoys crafts, photography, crochet, reading, and long walks. Her work has appeared elsewhere on WhattoExpect.com.

About the Blog

WhatToExpect.com supports Word of Mom as a place to share stories and highlight the many perspectives and experiences of pregnancy and parenting. However, the opinions expressed in this section are those of individual writers and do not reflect the views of Heidi Murkoff of the What to Expect brand.

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The scene is chilling. Surveillance video shows a little girl and her younger brother walking down the streets of Philadelphia. Suddenly, a male comes up behind the children, grabs the girl, and tries to carry her away. But this attempted child abduction has a happy ending. The ten-year-old girl was able to escape, and when police released the video, the suspect turned himself in.

The little girl and her brother were just returning from a walk to the corner market when they were attacked. A male suspect tried to grab the girl and run, but she did just what she should. She put up a fuss. She didn't go willingly. She twisted in her attacker's arms, falling to her knees, causing him to lose balance and let go of her. The man tried to grab the little girl again, but she struggled enough that he finally gave up and ran away.

According to CNN, when authorities released the surveillance video on the PhillyPolice Blog, public outcry was immediate. The suspect in this child abduction incident apparently felt enough pressure from the community that he turned himself in. The man is now facing felony and misdemeanor charges including attempted kidnapping, unlawful restraint, and indecent assault.

I was sick at heart to see this video, knowing that it might have been my children who were attacked by a predator. But at the same time, I cheered that brave little girl on. She didn't go meekly with her attacker. Even though he was twice her size, she came up fighting.

Just a few days before I read this news story, my kids and I were discussing this very thing. I don't remember how it came up in conversation, but we talked very seriously about what to do if a stranger tries to take them away. You scream, I told them. Scream and kick and fight and hit with everything you've got. Throw up on the attacker, if you can. They looked at me suspiciously — I was suddenly telling them it's okay to do all the things that are normally a no-no?

We may need to have this discussion several times before my kids truly understand that if a stranger tries to take them, they must fight. That's one case when it's a really good thing to let it all hang out. We'll also discuss safety tips like staying in populated areas, never accepting rides or gifts from strangers, and always telling a parent where they're going and when they'll be back. We'll probably do some role-playing as well.

I don't want my babies to be paranoid about interacting with strangers in general, but they should be ready if a predatory stranger ever comes along. I want my kids to do just what this smart little ten-year-old girl in the video did, and make it difficult for an attacker to just carry them quietly away.

How do you teach your kids about stranger danger? Tell us below in the comments section!

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